


A Captain's Duty

by truthsetfree



Category: Torchwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2012-07-16
Packaged: 2017-11-10 02:26:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truthsetfree/pseuds/truthsetfree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was Jack's duty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Captain's Duty

It's your duty to take the bullet. Every time you can.

And every time you come back, you can almost hear them thinking:

What right have you to ask me to die if you cannot yourself?

No right, sir, ma'am. Just duty.

And it's your duty to take the shot. Even when you knew them.

It's your duty. Even when the faces you love look at you in horror.

You take it because you'll spare them this too if you can.

It's your duty to take the blame. Every time it's yours.

And sometimes when it's not.

Because sometimes they need someone to blame.

And sometimes it's no one's fault.

It's your duty to reassure them.

Even when you're scared witless and you've lost all hope.

You do it anyway, because it's your duty.

It's your duty to forgive. Every time they get it wrong.

As long as it was a mistake. A momentary lapse in judgement.

And the only one whose life they endangered was yours.

It's your duty because you're the Captain.

It's not your duty to fall in love, but it happens every now and then, like dying.

It happens, and you think that if you don't say those three words, that you can make it un-happen or not be happening.

Turns out those three words only make a difference to the person hearing them.

Even without ever saying them, you feel it just the same.

Duty or not.


End file.
